It’s Getting Hot In Here

Photo by Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times

I can’t quite believe it, but Thomas Friedman covered our epic adventure across India in the Climate Solutions Road Tour and for a few sweet hours, we were #1 on the NY Times Most Popular list. I am thrilled that he’s finally writing youth stories that are actually covering the beauty of the international youth movement, and as excited as I am about the Indian Youth Climate Network, it is so inspiring to see this fit into the incredible actions going on around the world by international youth leading up to PowerShift with so much hope for a massive global campaign leading up to Copenhagen. Tom Friedman does not see all of the incredible work going on or he is not paying attention, but perhaps he – and others – are waking up. Young people are not going to wait any longer. Global youth are taking action, starting projects, mobilizing governments, and changing the climate dialogues nationally and internationally. Friedman writes:

I met Howe and Ringwald after a tiring day, but I have to admit that as soon as they started telling me their story it really made me smile. After a year of watching adults engage in devastating recklessness in the financial markets and depressing fecklessness in the global climate talks, it’s refreshing to know that the world keeps minting idealistic young people who are not waiting for governments to act, but are starting their own projects and driving innovation.

Continue reading ‘International Youth Make NYT #1′

Over the weekend of February 7-8 Pacific University students, local government officials, community organizers, and ordinary Washington County citizens came together for the Washington County Sustainability Summit at Pacific University.  Washington County, Oregon is located just west of Portland – Oregon’s largest metropolis and the center of this state’s green movement.  And despite some local politicians’ stubborn determination to see environmentalism as an invasion of tree-hugging hippies from Portland, Washington County’s own sustainability movement has been growing in recent years.

This growth is evident in the formation of community groups like Washington County Peak Oil, and in the staunch opposition of local landowners to the Palomar Liquefied Natural Gas Pipeline – a component of the largest new fossil project proposed for this state.  And if I do say so myself, student activism based out of Pacific University has had an important part to play as well.  In the past couple of years Pacific students have testified to Washington County Board in favor of green policies, hosted community education events with Washington County Peak Oil, and participated in two rounds of Focus the Nation teach-ins.  The Sustainability Summit this month was  organized almost entirely by students (the team of us organizers is pictured below), and sought to bring together some of the most important environmental initiatives in our area.  Over 100 students and County residents registered for the event, and you can read about the results in the news release at the bottom of this post.

I feel sure the US is bristling with communities like Washington County, Oregon: areas that tend to shy from hippie-style environmentalism, but where growing numbers of individuals are beginning to embrace the idea of a new green economy.  What if every one of these regions held a Sustainability Summit to draw attention to the work of local activists, and build the foundations for a united green front?  We did it in Washington County – you can, too! Continue reading ‘Youth-Led Sustainability Summit in Washington County’

This is a guest post from Jolene Brink, Minnesota Trek organizer.  The Trek to Re-Energize America is a bike ride to D.C. in support of clean energy solutions, summer 2009.

My bike is growing cobwebs in the basement, the heater is blasting and winter is here to stay.  It’s hard to imagine biking to the grocery store, let alone 2,000 miles, when the temperatures outside are sub arctic.  So I’ve been trotting to the gym everyday wearing long underwear, a heavy coat and my favorite wool socks.  Inside, it’s easy to forget the cold weather.  The way it’s easy to forget my re-usable mug when I stop by the coffee shop or my cloth bag when I go shopping.  Just little things, right?
Where I come from, people are always talking about the weather because it’s constantly changing.  So it makes sense we would notice major climate changes happening in our backyard and around the world.  That’s something I can’t forget or ignore.  I never imagined biking to Washington D.C. would be part of my post-graduation plans, but that’s exactly what I’ll be doing in the middle of June when the Trek To Re-Energize America comes through St. Paul, Minnesota.  By then I’ll be able to shed my wool socks for sandals, and my long underwear for a pair of sexy bike shorts.
I can justify my reasons for biking to D.C. in simple statements.
1)  It’s an opportunity to speak with thousands of people about the need for a clean energy economy, create a conversation and empower others to take action.
2)   It’s a chance to develop an awareness of what our country looks like by biking through it, not rushing past it.
3)  I don’t know where I’ll be working or living next year and I want to take advantage of this opportunity while I have it.
So until the snow melts I’ll be the girl waddling down the road towards the gym and back again.  I can’t imagine biking 2,000 miles just yet, but I can bike one mile, and then another … and another.  This is my invitation for you to join the Trek to Re-Energize America, no strings attached, just plenty of karma and good vibes.  When we hit the road for D.C. next summer, will you join us?

Across the US, Groups Are Cutting Ties with Coal This Valentine’s Day

 Dr. Phil and Dear Abby have been telling us for years: The truth hurts, but if a relationship is full of lies, ruining your budget, and making you and your home sick, then you’re going to have to say goodbye.

 This Valentine’s Day, there will be actions across the US calling for an end to coal, and that’s just the beginning. Since Obama has taken office, just 3 short weeks ago, there have been more than 50 actions in 25 states proclaiming the need for the US to break up with coal and move on to a healthier relationship–metaphorically speaking. 

 These community events have been connected by a common thread — a scrappy but quickly booming movement called Power Past Coal (www.powerpastcoal.org), which is linking together an action every day for the first 100 days of Obama’s presidency. So far, the response to this effort has been overwhelming. 

 A few of the Valentine’s Day Events calling for an end to coal and investment in our clean, just energy future: 

Reverse the Life of Mine Permit with Black Mesa Water Coalition in Flagstaff, AZ 

Rising Tide Boston is “breaking up” with Bank of America

New York City Loves Mountains makes the switch to clean energy

Kentuckians For The Commonwealth hosts an “I Love Mountains” extravaganza

And more at www.powerpastcoal.org 

Our politicians keep telling us that losing coal won’t be easy – which is why we’ve got to start today, to create the momentum for a just transition. True love is about a nourishing relationship: Break up with dirty, abusive coal and give clean energy a chance

In remarkable parallel to the climate crisis, there is no single solution to reviving our economy – it will take a combination of innovative thinking and bold actions to face both challenges.  The American Recovery and Investment Act (of which Jesse provides a great summary of energy-related features) illustrates that.

I want to take a moment to talk about one feature in the stimulus bill that occupied one sentence in his summary: high-speed passenger rail.

The American Recovery and Investment Act included a total of $9.3 billion for passenger rail: $8 billion for construction of high speed passenger rail and intercity passenger rail service and $1.3 billion for Amtrak (the National Railroad Passenger Corporation) rail investments.  As I was talking about this  today, the number of atrocious puns that came up was amazing:

• “High speed passenger rail can get the economy back on track”
• “Everyone’s getting on board with passenger rail”
• “Trains can be a model for environomics*”
• “The little stimulus package that could”

Continue reading ‘No Silver Bullet, But Bullet Trains Are a Start’

Originally posted at WattHead – Energy News and Commentary and the Breakthrough Institute

The American Recovery and Investment Act agreed upon by the Senate and House Conference Committee contains over $61.9 billion in energy-related public spending as well as tax credits and bond provisions expected to cost $20 billion over ten years.

The House of Representatives approved the conference report of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act today, by a vote of 246-186. Not a single Republican joined Democrats in approving this version of the bill, which was the product of long negotiations between leadership in both the House and Senate, as well as a block of centrist Senate Democrats and Republicans who have taken control of much of the debate on the stimulus.

The public investment numbers in the stimulus have bounced around during the countless negotiations, so if you’ve been following this crazy game at home (all twelve of you), here’s my detailed summary, provided without further comment, of the energy-related investments and tax provisions in the conference version of the stimulus.

Assuming the block of centrist Senators remains supportive, this will be the version passed into law by the Senate soon, as early as later this evening. Keep in mind that all spending will be spread out over roughly two years.
Continue reading ‘Detailed Summary of Energy Investments in Stimulus’

Just came across this disturbing bit of boasting from the Hawthorn Group, a communications firm hired by the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE) about their work to promote “clean coal” during the general election.

The clean energy movement can score a victory in that the debate is shifting from whether to address global warming to how, whether to transition to clean energy to what clean energy really is and from if there should be a price on emissions to how it should be established and what to do with the revenue.

That said, we’re still up against one of the most highly-organized, well-funded propaganda campaigns in history, and it’s willing to play dirty. Continue reading ‘ACCCE and the Hawthorn Group: the dirty side of the clean energy movement’

Is Banksy endorsing the Capitol Climate Action (CCA)? Or maybe Shepard Faery?

It’s not photoshopped. Large scale stencils, wheatpasting, and paint graffiti is turning up in DC promoting the Capitol Climate Action on March 2nd.

So what’s keeping you from RSVPing?

Eh. This sucks. 

West Virginia is in mourning today. 

From Ken Ward:   

A federal appeals court today overturned a judge’s 2007 decision to require more thorough permit reviews of mountaintop removal mining operations. In a victory for the coal industry, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va., rejected the decision by U.S. District Judge Robert C. Chambers in Huntington.

This court decision had held up 90+ valley fill permits in West Virginia since 2007. Now the coal companies are gearing up to blast the living hell out them.   This is mainly the fault of the Bushes and Reagan, who stacked the 4rth Circuit with crazy troglodytes who apparently hate humans and the earth they live on.  

Now we definitely have the pass the Clean Water Protection Act, which means you should be gearing up for End Mountaintop Removal Week inWashington – please attend the week and lobby with us, or join us for the call in day on Tuesday, March 17th.

In a new video, Academy Award-winning actress Susan Sarandon evokes the sacrifices of Ghandi and Martin Luther King in calling on Americans to join the Capitol Climate Action, the country’s largest show of civil disobedience about global warming in history, at the Capitol Power Plant on March 2nd 2009.

Says Sarandon:

“Gandhi. Martin Luther King. They were willing to stand up for what’s right, even if it meant peacefully breaking the law. Civil disobedience can overcome great challenges. And global warming is the greatest challenge of our time.”

This video brings another nationally respected voice to America’s call for urgent action to address the climate crisis. Supported by James Hansen, Bill McKibben Wendell Berry, Reverend Lennox Yearwood, and more than 60 environmental, faith, social justice, and community groups – the Capitol Climate Action aims to turn a new corner for the climate movement.  Continue reading ‘Susan Sarandon Video Supports Capitol Climate Action in Washington, DC.’